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Comment and Health

Why fully remote workplaces mean more loneliness – and more sick days

Hybrid working has its benefits, but employees will be happier and more productive with more face-to-face contact, says evolutionary psychologist Robin Dunbar

By Robin Dunbar

7 February 2024

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Elaine Knox

FOR most of us, lockdown is now just a dim memory. There has, however, been one lasting effect: hybrid work patterns. The stresses of the daily commute are no more; in its place, we have more time with the children, at the gym or shopping. It is a boon for working parents. This marks a sea change from past work practices. But has it really been the win-win situation some CEOs have claimed?

In our new book, The Social Brain: The psychology of successful groups, we argue that organisations – hospitals, schools, businesses, government departments – are social environments,…

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